Rights activist Imaan Mazari, husband rearrested hours after bail; anti-terrorism court denies custody
HRC-PoJK questioned the arrest of Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha in a new case, hours after the Supreme Court ordered their release on bail.
Pakistani human rights activist Imaan Mazari and her husband Hadi Ali Chatha have been arrested again, sparking controversy internationally and in human rights circles. Just before the arrest, the Supreme Court had stayed their sentence and ordered their release on bail. But before the relief could be celebrated, police detained the two again on the basis of a new case registered at Kohsar police station in Islamabad.
The Human Rights Council of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (HRC-PoJK) expressed serious concern over the sudden and hasty arrest. The council issued an official statement on Saturday, September 19, 2026, demanding that the government and administration make public the legal basis for the arrest.
The Muzaffarabad-based organisation made its statement through a post on social media platform X. The organisation said the government certainly has the right to question or prosecute any citizen, but the action taken immediately after the Supreme Court's bail order raises questions about the rule of law and fair judicial process.
The organisation said that when the Supreme Court grants someone bail, an immediate arrest in a new case is seen as a disregard of the court's orders. The statement demanded that the administration immediately come forward and make public the real reason and legal provisions behind the arrest.
After being rearrested, Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha were produced before the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC). During the hearing, police took an aggressive stance and sought 30 days of police custody for both. The police administration argued in court that such a long custody period was necessary for investigation of the new case and thorough questioning.
But after hearing both sides, the anti-terrorism court flatly rejected the police's request for 30 days of custody. The court said the police plea lacked merit and ordered both to be sent to judicial custody, that is, jail. The court's decision was a big setback for the police, and HRC-PoJK welcomed the court's stance.
The human rights council also specifically mentioned the earlier case of Shaukat Nawaz Mir in its statement. Reports had emerged of Shaukat Nawaz Mir's arrest on June 30, 2026, on the orders of the deputy commissioner of Muzaffarabad. At that time too, the administration had made contradictory and unclear claims, on which the council had immediately sought a firm clarification.
The council said the same pattern was being repeated in the case of Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali, and that protecting the constitutional rights of the accused, giving them equal access to the law and a fair hearing is the state's foremost responsibility. HRC-PoJK said it is closely watching the entire case and the court proceedings ahead, so that citizens' basic rights are not violated in the name of law.
